Page 13 of Dessert Flirt Repeat
I fight the urge to shrink into myself and summon all the normal person energy I have. I gesture to a two-person table off to the side. We both take a seat. I’m about to dive into the pitch I’ve been rehearsing ever since we decided to meet when I hear Tori clear her throat.
“Oh!” I look behind me and gesture for her to come forward. She practically sprints over, a wide grin splitting her face in half. “This is my best friend, Tori. She works here at Sweet Cheeks. She’s amazing, keeps this place running.”
Gage reaches up, and they shake hands.
“No way. That’s Becca all the way,” Tori says. She grins as she stares at him. “I just help where I can. I’m a huge fan, by the way.”
A roguish smile pulls at Gage’s lips, and I feel my body going hot once more. “You’re very kind. Thank you.”
He glances down, and that’s when I notice Tori’s still gripping his hand. I rest my hand on her forearm. “Can you get started on mixing a new batch of unicorn swirl in the back?”
Tori’s starry-eyed gaze dissipates. “Oh, sure! Have fun, you two.”
She disappears into the back, and I focus back on Gage.
“Oh wait! I promised you mint chip, didn’t I?” I hop up, scurry to the counter, and quickly dish up a scoop for Gage.
When I set it down in front of him, he chuckles. “You didn’t have to actually give me ice cream.”
“Oh…” I look between the ice cream and the counter. “Sorry. I, uh—you don’t have to eat that then.”
I reach for it, but he shakes his head and grabs the spoon. “Let’s see if it’s as good as you claim.”
His teasing tone sends a flock of butterflies to my stomach. I try to ignore it as I sit back down.
When he moans after that first spoonful, I can’t help but smile.
“Holy…”
“Good?” I ask.
“Incredible.” He inhales the rest of the ice cream in the small dish. “You weren’t kidding. That was the best mint chip I’ve ever had.”
I grin so wide, my cheeks hurt. “I love seeing people try my ice cream for the first time. It makes me happier than anything.”
There’s a quiet moment where Gage’s smile turns soft as he looks at me. “So,” he says with a glimmer in his mahogany brown eyes, “you need help with some sexy TikToks?”
I nearly jolt at the change in topic. I shouldn’t be so shocked. That’s the reason he’s here.
“Um, yes,” I say.
He leans forward in his chair, and that’s when I take in his size. He’s not huge. He looks just shy of six feet. Definitely not short, but not necessarily tall, though he’s plenty tall to me given I’m barely five-five.
But it’s his broad build that’s most striking to me. I’ve watched all of his TikTok videos, so I’m well aware that he’s jacked. But now that I’m sitting just inches from him, his physique is mesmerizing.
He shifts, lightly bumping the table with his knee.
“Sorry, the tables and chairs in here are a bit on the small side,” I say quickly. “It’s just that a lot of my customers are kids, so I thought it would be good to have some smaller furniture and…”
He leans forward, closing the space between us to just a handful of inches. “You’re not allowed to say sorry anymore.”
I laugh nervously. “What do you mean?”
“You apologize a lot. You don’t need to.”
“Oh. Okay.”
His tone is so definitive but gentle, so firm and commanding yet kind.
